500.A15A4/2598: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 1—8:05 p.m.]
19. Your 7, October 25, 7 p.m. At Henderson’s request, a meeting was held in Simon’s office this morning for consultation. There were present Simon, Eden, Henderson, Avenol, Aghnides, myself, and Wilson.
In view of the reluctance which Aghnides reports exists on the part of the continental states to call the Bureau at an early date for fear that the fundamentals of disarmament may be debated, the following plan was evolved to take care of their preoccupation and to give satisfaction to the British and ourselves. The plan is that Henderson will issue a statement to the effect that the present time is not propitious for entering into a debate on the fundamentals of disarmament, but that he hopes in the near future that the situation in Europe will have so developed that these fundamentals can again be attacked. He will add, however, that although the purpose of the Conference has been and continues to be a general convention covering all phases of armament, it now seems feasible to attack and complete certain specific objectives, notably the trade in and manufacture of arms. For this reason he will summon the Bureau at the time of the Assembly, approximately November 21st, to lay before it the possibility of engaging upon these specific tasks in committees. It is intended that the Bureau will instruct the committees to work upon separate protocols destined for independent signature and ratification. This will be done in such a way that these independent protocols may in [Page 174] the future be joined together in a general disarmament treaty somewhat in the way that the separate protocols of the Washington Convention are linked. It is, however, not Henderson’s purpose to suggest immediate beginning of the work but to propose that the committees will assemble sometime after the new year.
Wilson is leaving for Paris tomorrow in order to explain fully to the French our objective in these limited treaties so that they may have a complete understanding of our intentions, and to obviate any feeling in their mind that an Anglo-American combination is working. He will return to London early next week.
I am sending a copy of this telegram to Rome in order to forestall any precipitate adverse decision by Italy. Wilson will proceed to Rome after his return to London as soon as the state of the naval conversations permits of his departure.
Copy to Delegation, Geneva.